Martinez plays to bullpen's strength for game-clinching hold

Prior to tomorrow's trade deadline, Nationals manager Davey Martinez's vision of how to hold a late lead is a seventh, eighth and ninth inning that falls to Wander Suero, Fernando Rodney and Sean Doolittle.

To begin a very important series against the Atlanta Braves, Martinez had the strengths of his 'pen well rested. Rodney and Doolittle both had not pitched for four days. Doolittle had been off since last week's doubleheader Wednesday against the Rockies.

So in a game in which the Nationals led 6-2 after six very impressive innings from starter Patrick Corbin, Martinez had three innings left to absorb.

The trio did their job, combining to hold Atlanta down. A solo homer came from Charlie Culberson in the ninth, but the Braves got nothing more. The Nats held on for a 6-3 victory.

"It's great," Martinez said. "It's awesome. Hopefully we'll come back tomorrow and we're ahead in the eighth and ninth and they do the same thing."

The final line for Suero, Rodney and Doolittle: three innings, two hits, one run, no walks and five strikeouts.

Contrast that with the Braves bullpen which allowed two runs, a grand slam homer and six walks.

Suero had a 1-2-3 frame, finishing off the inning with a strikeout of the Braves dangerous leadoff hitter Ronald Acuña Jr., with 3-2 93 mph cutter.

Rodney surrendered a single to Freddie Freeman (his third hit of the night), but nothing else, striking out Adam Duvall on a called third strike with a 97 mph four-seam fastball. Rodney set up Duvall with 84 mph changeup at 1-2 that skipped in the dirt.

Then Doolittle arrived in the ninth. Culberson did get him with the homer, but the closer struck out Johan Camargo and Tyler Flowers looking and to end the game, Ender Inciarte with a 94 mph four-seam fastball.

Martinez said afterwards he thinks Doolittle deserved a save for that work, even if his club was up four runs heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Anthony Rendon's grand slam gave the Nats the lead in the sixth. The third baseman appreciated his teammates holding that advantage.

"It's been amazing," Rendon said. "No offense, I don't read what the media says, but it's funny how when it goes bad you hear a lot about it. But in big games like this, big situations where our bullpen shuts teams down, you don't hear a lot about it, you don't hear a lot of praise for them. A lot of kudos to them, they're doing an amazing job."

The bullpen kept the Braves at bay in the late going Monday night. Don't worry, Anthony, you will hear a lot more positive about them if they repeat that performance consistently the rest of the season.